The Stifel U.S. Ski Team closed out the two-race giant slalom weekend in Canada on a high note Sunday, as Mikaela Shiffrin and Paula Moltzan both charged into the top six. Shiffrin tied for fourth with Switzerland’s Camille Rast, while Moltzan delivered a standout second run to leap from 18th to sixth.
After a tricky Saturday race that saw late starters struggle with deteriorating light and snow, the Americans came back sharper and more determined. Nina O’Brien led the U.S. charge after the first run, sitting third, with Shiffrin in sixth and Moltzan 18th. But as the team has learned all weekend, everything can change on the second descent.
Paula Moltzan set the tone for the U.S. in the final run. Attacking the flatter sections and tricky transitions with confidence, the Minnesotan posted the fastest time among the early starters and held the leader’s chair for an extended stretch before eventually settling into sixth.
“I trusted what I saw on inspection and just went for it,” Moltzan said afterward. “I watched the video from yesterday, picked a couple of things I needed to clean up, and locked in.”
Mikaela Shiffrin followed and brought the intensity she’s been hunting all season in giant slalom. Skiing with power and precision, the two-time Olympic champion moved up two spots to tie for fourth — her second top-five GS result of the young season and a clear sign that her pre-injury form in the discipline is returning.
“I was in range after the first run and had the chance to fight for more,” Shiffrin said. “There are still some small mistakes to clean up, but I need to keep raising the intensity every run. It’s coming together.”
Nina O’Brien, holding third place heading into the finale, attacked aggressively from the start but got caught in a transition and skied out — a frustrating end to what had been a breakthrough weekend until that point.
Austria’s Julia Scheib took the victory, with Sweden’s Sara Hector in second and New Zealand’s Alice Robinson rounding out the podium in third.
The strong U.S. team performance caps a productive eastern swing. The technical squad now shifts focus to final preparations before the night slalom in Courchevel, France later this month, while the speed group heads to St. Moritz for downhill and super-G racing starting December 12.
Final Results – Mont-Tremblant Giant Slalom (Dec. 7)
Julia Scheib (AUT)
Sara Hector (SWE)
Alice Robinson (NZL)
Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) / Camille Rast (SUI) – tie
Paula Moltzan (USA)
DNF: Nina O’Brien (USA), Elisabeth Bocock (USA)
34. Kjersti Moritz (USA)
